High School-Level Assessments: Include End-of-Course Exams

Why does it matter? States need to know whether students have met grade-level standards.

Fourteen states currently administer one or more end-of-course assessments. An additional 11 states and the District of Columbia have plans to implement end-of-course exams during the 2007-2008 school year or later. 2006 Florida legislation directs the state to study the costs of implementation.

Please contact Jennifer Dounay at 303.299.3689 or jdounay@ecs.org with comments or questions about this information.

Include end-of-course exams

Alabama

No

Alaska

No

Arizona

No

Arkansas

Yes, Algebra I and Geometry. Biology I beginning 2007-2008 school year.

In addition, the state is a member of the American Diploma Project (ADP) consortium of nine states developing a common Algebra II end-of-course assessment. The test will be administered each academic year in late spring and late fall/early winter, beginning in May 2008.

California

No

Colorado

No

Connecticut

No

Delaware

No

District of Columbia

Yes

Notes/Citation: District is developing end-of-course exams in Algebra I, geometry, English 9, English 10, biology and physics (or chemistry)

Florida

No. However, 2006 H.B. 7087 directs the state to "Study the cost and student achievement impact of secondary end-of-course assessments, including web-based and performance formats, and report to the legislature prior to implementation."

Yes, English 11, Algebra I, Algebra II and Biology I are operational. U.S. History is currently being piloted, and is expected to be operational during the 2007-2008 school year. A student in a Core 40 class should take the related end-of-course assessment. The Core 40 curriculum will become Indiana's default high school curriculum effective with the Class of 2011 (entering freshmen in fall 2007).

In addition, the state is a member of the American Diploma Project (ADP) consortium of nine states developing a common Algebra II end-of-course assessment. The test will be administered each academic year in late spring and late fall/early winter, beginning in May 2008.

Iowa

No

Kansas

No

Kentucky

Yes. 2006 H.B. 197 directs the department to coordinate the development of end-of-course exams in Algebra I, Algebra II and geometry, to be piloted no later than the 2007-2008 school year.

In addition, the state is a member of the American Diploma Project (ADP) consortium of nine states developing a common Algebra II end-of-course assessment. The test will be administered each academic year in late spring and late fall/early winter, beginning in May 2008.

Louisiana

Yes. Tests are currently under development. The Algebra I end-of-course assessment is scheduled to be piloted in spring 2007 and implemented during the 2007-2008 school year. End-of-course exams in English I, English II, Geometry, Biology, American History, Free Enterprise and Civics are to be developed and phased in over a six-year period starting in 2007.

Maine

No

Maryland

Yes, English II, Algebra/Data Analysis, Biology, Government

In addition, the state is a member of the American Diploma Project (ADP) consortium of nine states developing a common Algebra II end-of-course assessment. The test will be administered each academic year in late spring and late fall/early winter, beginning in May 2008.

In addition, the state is a member of a the American Diploma Project consortium of nine states developing a common Algebra II end-of-course assessment. The test will be administered each academic year in late spring and late fall/early winter, beginning in May 2008.

Michigan

Yes. 2006 legislation requires end-of-course exams to be developed as part of recently adopted high school graduation requirements. By the 2008-2009 school year, exams are to be developed in Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, Data and Statistics, Earth Science, Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Grade 9 English, Grade 10 English, Grade 11 English, Grade 12 English, World History, U.S. History, Economics, and Civics.

An April 2007 department memo notes that, on or around May 1, 2007, prototypes of the Algebra I and geometry end-of-course assessments will be made available to districts on request "to verify the rigor of their classes or, in some cases, to use for purposes of student assessment."

Minnesota

Yes

Notes/Citation: Life Sciences, beginning 2008

Mississippi

Yes

Notes/Citation: Algebra I, Biology I, English II and U.S. History

Missouri

Yes. A February 2007 state board decision requires end-of-course exams to be developed in Algebra I, English II and Biology. These exams are to be piloted the 2007-2008 school year and implemented in 2008-2009. The state also plans to develop end-of-course assessments in English I, Algebra II, Geometry, Integrated Mathematics II and III, Physical Science, Chemistry, Government and American History by 2010.

Montana

No

Nebraska

No

Nevada

No

New Hampshire

No

New Jersey

Yes. An end-of-course biology assessment will first be administered in spring 2008.

In addition, the state is a member of the American Diploma Project (ADP) consortium of nine states developing a common Algebra II end-of-course assessment. The test will be administered each academic year in late spring and late fall/early winter, beginning in May 2008.

New Mexico

No. Statute directs end-of-course exams to be aligned with college placement exams, but these exams have not yet been developed, as the definition of "aligned to college entrance" has not been definitively determined. Once this definition has been clarified, the department will begin development of these exams.

Yes. Ohio is a member of the American Diploma Project (ADP) consortium of nine states developing a common Algebra II end-of-course assessment. The test will be administered each academic year in late spring and late fall/early winter, beginning in May 2008.

Oklahoma

Yes

Notes/Citation: English II, Algebra I, Biology I, U.S. History. Additonal end-of-instruction tests in English III, Algebra II and Geometry are to be developed and field-tested in 2006-2007 and implemented in 2007-2008.

Oregon

No

Pennsylvania

Yes. Pennsylvania is a member of the American Diploma Project (ADP) consortium of nine states developing a common Algebra II end-of-course assessment. The test will be administered each academic year in late spring and late fall/early winter, beginning in May 2008.

Rhode Island

No statewide end-of-course exams administered at this time. However, by May 2004, districts were required to identify at least two proficiency-based measures that students would be required to meet in addition to Carnegie units for local graduation requirements. End-of-course exams are among the options districts could choose from. (Other options include common tasks, portfolios, exhibitions and capstone/senior projects.)

However, the state is a member of the American Diploma Project (ADP) consortium of nine states developing a common Algebra II end-of-course assessment. The test will be administered each academic year in late spring and late fall/early winter, beginning in May 2008.

South Carolina

YesNotes/Citation: English I, Algebra I/Math for the Technologies 2, Physical Science, U.S. History and Constitution. Pending department support from the General Assembly, a revised biology end-of-course assessment will be piloted in spring 2008 and implemented in spring 2009.

Notes/Citation: Algebra I; Geometry and Biology (field-tested in 2006-2007 and to be implemented in 2007-2008); U.S. History, Physics, Chemistry (to be field-tested in 2007-2008 and implemented in 2008-2009)

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